World Bank Extends Credit for Education Project

According to Arka news agency, in its meeting dated 13 May 2009, the World Bank Board of Directors approved a 25 million USD credit for the Armenia 2nd Education Quality and Relevance Project.

The credit by the International Development Association (IDA) will assist Armenia in its efforts to improve the quality and relevance of its educational system, to ensure that students graduate with competitive skills. This is the 2nd phase of the 2nd education project supported by the World Bank over the past 12 years in Armenia.

The project will enhance the curriculum and teaching methods, the readiness of children entering primary schools, and the integration of the Armenian tertiary education system into the European Higher Education Area.

According to the WB, past projects in Armenia have accomplished “a great deal”: The National Curriculum Framework has been developed, a transparent examination system and enhanced capacity to assess student performance has been introduced, along with the creation of the Assessment and Testing Center, the National Center of Education Technology, and an effective Computer Revolving scheme which has allowed 85 percent of the schools in the country to set up computer labs.

“This new project builds on the achievements of Armenia’s reforms so far, while extending the agenda to encompass preschool and higher education,” said Juan Manuel Moreno, leader of the World Bank team for the project. “It will comprehensively support the Government’s efforts to accelerate the implementation of preschool, general and tertiary education reforms despite the adverse consequences of the global economic crisis.”

WB hopes that the project will help the Armenian Education system meet critical challenges that include reversing the current deterioration – in enrollments and in quality – of preschool education; supporting the implementation of the 12-year general education system; improving teacher quality through pre-service and in-service training; and, contributing to Armenia’s integration in the European Higher Education Area.

The 2nd Education Quality and Relevance project focuses on enhancing the Quality of General Education. Activities will aim to increase the readiness for general education of approximately 8,750 children, while 140 of the poorest communities will benefit from targeted grants to enhance the quality of preschool education. The quality of teaching will be improved through training of 2,750 secondary school teachers and 150 principals, and by creating a school improvement network. In addition, investments will ensure that all schools in Armenia are equipped with up-to-date technologies, that about 400 of the most remote schools are connected to the Internet, and that these technologies effectively enhance learning. Further, the curriculum and assessment of the 12-year general education system will be improved so that future graduates will be equipped with relevant and competitive knowledge and skills.

The project also aims at supporting higher education reforms to help achieve standards similar to education systems in Europe. The project will establish and strengthen the capacity of the National Quality Assurance system for higher education. An integrated Tertiary Education Management Information System (TEMIS) will be created to support policy planning, management, monitoring and evaluation of performance of education. The component will also support the design and piloting of a sustainable financing system for tertiary education, including student loans and a Competitive Innovation Fund for the financing of Universities.

The Credit will be provided to Armenia on standard IDA terms, including 20 years maturity and a 10-year grace period.

Since joining the World Bank in 1992 and the International Development Association in 1993, Armenia has received approximately 1,187 million USD.

Ignorance Breeds Cultural Prejudice

Hurriyet Turkish daily reports that according to a comprehensive survey on Turkish university students’ perception of Armenians, it has been revealed that while a majority harbors mainly negative feelings toward Armenians, they would welcome an opportunity for greater interaction with them.

"Prejudices against Armenians exist also at the university students’ level. We wanted to pinpoint the reasons by surveying 3,095 students," said Evrim Tan, founder of Turkish University Students’ Perspective (TÜÖY - site exclusively in Turkish), the student group that carried out the poll.

The word "Armenian" had negative connotations for 44 percent of respondents. Moreover, 35 percent preferred to not have an Armenian employer, and almost half of students did not want an Armenian spouse. The political appearance of Armenians was even more problematic, as 54 percent of students said they would not vote for a deputy candidate of Armenian origin and 50 percent said they would not want Armenians to have their own publications.

"We think a major reason is the lack of contact with the Armenian culture," Tan said. Despite hundreds of years of co-existence in the Ottoman era, now only 33 percent of students suggested that there were common grounds and proximity between Turkish and Armenian cultures. Contemporary relations are also in a poor stance. Almost 70 percent had never heard the Armenian language being spoken, and only 24 percent said they would welcome an institute for the Armenian language.

"Despite the large number of negative answers regarding Armenians, many interviewees expressed that more studies of a similar type should be carried out," said Mühtan Sağlam, a senior at TOBB and a writer of the survey. The percent of students who would like to participate in joint social activities with Armenian university students was 42, while 38 said they would not want to take part in such activities.

TÜÖY found a chance to share the results of the survey with its Armenian counterparts in Yerevan, during the Armenia-Turkey nongovernmental organizations meeting in March 2009 prepared by the Civil Society Development Centre in Turkey in collaboration with Civil Society Institute in Armenia. "Armenian NGO representatives told us that results would be similar in Armenia, if a Turkish perception survey would be carried out," said Ozan Ağabaş, TÜÖY representative for the meeting.

"They know very little about Turkey. Indeed, the most widely recognized Turkish figures are Enver, Celal and Talat pashas according to information we had at the convention," Ağabaş said. The three pashas wielded the power in the Union and Progress Party that ruled the Ottoman Empire during World War I. They are viewed as the masterminds of the Genocide of 1915.

Not only the results, which will be published as a book, but also the story of the preparation for the survey is revealing of some troubling tendencies still prevalent in Turkey that cause problems for Armenians.

"The survey was preceded by ’Dialogue Camp,’ a large student convention to boost Turkish-Armenian cultural dialogue in Ürgüp in March 2009, but many Armenian youth groups in Istanbul refrained from participating at the last minute as their parents asked them ’not to be seen around too much,’" Tan said. "Nevertheless, we observed that young Armenians in Turkey are way more eager to establish good contacts with Turks."

TÜÖY will step up efforts to remedy what it says are false perceptions, and seek ways to improve the pace of cultural exchanges between Turks and Armenians. "The next step will be to prepare a detailed plan on initiating student exchange programs between university students in Turkey and Armenia," Tan said. "Turkish students may be lodged near Armenian families and vice-versa. The plan will be jointly carried out with our Armenian partners in Yerevan and is scheduled for launch in August 2010," he said.

To read the survey in full (in Turkish), please click here.

Armenia Calls for Donations of Books

Hairenik Armenian Weekly reports that the National Library of Armenia (NLA), the country’s largest and most important library, has issued a call for donations of all recent books published in the Diaspora.

In 2012, NLA plans to celebrate 500 years of printing in Armenian, and will organize many programs and exhibitions. For this purpose and by then, the Library hopes to fill the gaps in its collection.

The Library holds copies of Armenian books published worldwide from 1515 to the present, as well as periodicals, works of music and art, etc. At present, its holdings number 6.5 million items, making it the largest library of Armenian works in the world. It is also a center for scientific, cultural, and educational activities.

NLA enjoys good working relations with the big libraries of the world, as well as with many organizations and Armenian Studies university centers. This gives the Library the opportunity to introduce Armenian books and culture around the globe, and in exchange to receive many valuable publications from various countries. Nonetheless, Armenian or foreign language publications dealing with Armenian history, literature and culture are issued in so many countries and places that they sometimes do not reach Armenia. This is a serious shortcoming for the Library, its readers, and of course, publishers and authors.

AUA President Announces Retirement

According to the American University of Armenia (AUA), via Armenian General Benevolent Union’s (AGBU) official blog, AUA President Dr. Haroutune Armenian announced his retirement at the April 20 meeting of the University’s Board of Trustees. He will continue to serve during the search for a new president.

AGBU blog writes that Dr. Armenian assumed the presidency of the University in January 1997, having previously served as Dean of AUA’s College of Health Sciences. Under his leadership, the University achieved accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), focused its research activities on local and regional issues, developed modern physical facilities, recruited its first international students, increased collaboration with local universities, and sponsored several initiatives whose impact extends beyond the University. Two examples are the AUA Digital Library Project, which has developed an electronic version of Classical Armenian literature from the 5th to the end of the 20th century and the Turpanjian Rural Development Project, which offers entrepreneurship training and helps develop small businesses in rural areas of Armenia.

Judson King, Interim Chair of AUA’s Board, expressed admiration and thanks for Armenian’s many years of excellent and energetic service and for all his contributions to the development of the university. King stated “Haroutune Armenian has much to be proud of as he completes his years as President of AUA. We are all grateful for what he has done.”

A native of Beirut, Dr. Armenian is a graduate of the American University of Beirut and of Johns Hopkins University. He was Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at AUB and as well as Director of the MPH Program and Professor of Epidemiology in the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins. He is currently Professor-in-Residence at the UCLA School of Public Health and Visiting Professor at the King Saud University in Riyadh.

I am sure that all who have known Dr Armenian at AUA will miss him very much.

ANQA Becomes Candidate Member of ENQA

Arka news agency reports that the Executive Board of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) has granted candidate member status to the Armenian National Centre for Professional Education Quality Assurance Foundation (ANQA).

Currently, countries that have full membership status – sometimes for more than one national agency – are as follows: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and U.K.

The press service of the Ministry of Education and Science reports that the new status will allow ANQA to establish official relations with its counterparts in other European countries, take part in ENQA-organized events, and be fully informed of the latest education quality assurance initiatives.

ENQA President Bruno Curvale was on a working visit to Armenia at ANQA’s invitation 27-28 June. The aim of the visit was to assess the potential and effectiveness of ANQA’s current activities and to review elaborated documents.

During their meetings the two sides discussed ANQA’s strategic programs and mission, as well as the relevant statutory acts. The sides reached an agreement to expand cooperation.